Digital Camera File Formats: Raw and Jpeg

Most digital SLR cameras can record images using either a Raw or a Jpeg file format. Both formats have their own advantages and disadvantages. To say that one file format is always superior to another is incorrect since Raw and Jpeg (with minimal compression) are both professional grade options. It is up to you to decide which option is the most appropriate for the way that you work and for the equipment that you have at your disposal.

Of the two formats, Raw is both the most straightforward and, ironically, the most complex. All digital images begin their lives as Raw files. Raw is a spreadsheet style record of the electrical currents that were created by the camera’s digital sensor.

If you tell your camera to record files using a Raw file format, then the camera’s internal processor does not alter the original electrical data in any permanent way. The file that the camera writes to the memory card is basically the straight record of electrical currents. Since this data has not been interpreted or processed inside of the camera, your file cannot be utilized without external processing. It takes sophisticated software like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to work with Raw files.

Shooting in Jpeg tells the camera to convert the original electrical data into a polished and universally acceptable file format. As an analogy, think of Jpeg as if it were Polaroid film and think of Raw as if it were traditional black and white film. With Polaroid film, you get a positive finished image straight out of the camera without the need for any additional chemistry or processing. This is not to say that you cannot further enhance a Jpeg file but no additional processing is required before these files can be displayed, shared, or printed.

Raw files, on the other hand, are more like traditional black and white film. Like film, these files are not usable until they have been run through a lengthy and complex development process, but with Raw files and the right software you get to control every last bit of the image creation process. With Raw files, you get total control over the birth of your digital image.



I choose to use the Jpeg file format when file size and speed are my top priorities. Many professional photojournalists spend their whole career shooting hig-quality Jpeg files. I am not a photojournalist, but I find Jpeg very handy for projects like time-lapse photography where I eventually need to string together dozens or hundreds of still images.

Raw is my file choice when control over the entire development process is advantageous. Total control is very useful when I need to correct exposure or color mistakes. The size and expanded bit-depth of a Raw file is critical for elegant color to black and white image conversion. Thanks to software like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom editing, and working, with Raw files is fast and easy. There are no rights and wrongs here so think the job through and pick the most appropriate file format before you start shooting!

For those seeking more information on camera Raw read:





You might also want to visit these sites for more technical information on the Raw to Jpeg conversion process.

www.Luminous-Landscape.com

www.cambridgeincoulor.com